OLS : Library Integration using MARC 21

OpacOnline now offers a new module, Opac Library Service (OLS), which opens your library catalogue to other libraries' OPACs -- or indeed to any software program that can make HTTP requests. In this way your partner organizations can offer to search in your library through their own library search interface, totally transparent to the users.

Of course it is possible to restrict the use of this function to authenticated partners only.

As an example, say your organization is an NGO specialized in democracy and citizenship in Southern African countries. Your library is open to users world-wide through OpacOnline. Now with OLS, it is possible for an affiliated NGO specialized in let's say democracy in the Third World, to include results from your library when users are searching theirs.

Another example: a holding company can easily aggregate an intranet search function over all of its subsidiaries' libraries and present this to the user either as an integrated search function, or as a "portal" search with search functions to the various libraries grouped on one page all with the same user interface.

The backbone of this new feature is based on the bibliographical exchange format MARC 21, and more specifically, the MARCXML schema developed by the Library of Congress. MARCXML is a "slim" definition of the MARC 21 format, which ensures it does not constrain your data format too much, while specifying all types of MARC 21 records: bibliographic, holdings, bibliographic with embedded holdings, authority, classification, and community information. The widespread usage of MARC 21 ensures a high degree of interoperability - many a library system can happily work with it.

Technically the implementation is a Web Service that consumes SOAP messages in MARCXML format. These choices leverage all of the scalability and interoperability of standard Web Services.

The OLS feature is of course optional, and is available free of charge to new and existing customers of OpacOnline.